Congressman Mike Ross finds benefits to trade agreements

Ross recently said, the 21st century global economy we find ourselves in today is nothing like Americans have ever experienced. Trillions of dollars are traded around the world in seconds. Our economies are more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. And, we are no longer competing with neighboring states – we are competing with countries all over the world.

Our new economic reality is not one we can ignore. It’s a reality we must face, plan for and seize. In order for the United States to maintain its economic superpower status, we must be smarter, more adaptive and more willing to work with our global partners.

We’ve got to do more to win the global manufacturing race. I want the “Made in America” label seen in every country in the world and, in order to do that, we need smart, targeted and specific trade agreements that allow us to export more American-made goods to other countries, while also protecting the American worker.

Arkansas, specifically, has an incredible opportunity to take advantage of this global economy. Our agriculture products are shipped all over the world. We make parts right here in Arkansas used in countries from eastern Asia to Europe. In fact, an estimated 69,000 Arkansas jobs were supported by Arkansas goods and products exported in 2008 (the last year for which data is available), according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. In 2010, $2.4 billion, or 45 percent of Arkansas’s goods exports were to countries with which the United States has a trade agreement.

Last week, I voted for and Congress passed three trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. These trade agreements will open three more growing markets to American-made products and American-grown food and fiber, particularly from states like Arkansas, boosting production and creating more private-sector jobs. Arkansas crops like rice, soybeans and cotton and Arkansas-manufactured goods can now be exported to and sold in more world markets, increasing our state’s GDP and putting more people back to work.

The White House estimates the three trade agreements could create over 250,000 U.S. jobs in the manufacturing, services and agricultural sectors and will boost U.S. exports by over $13 billion annually.

We’ve got to boost American manufacturing and agriculture to get our economy back on track and that’s why I supported these three trade agreements. They go much further than any previous trade agreements to protect the American worker and to boost the “Made in America” label around the world.

These trade agreements are effective ways we can bring more private-sector jobs to Arkansas and help boost our state’s economy in the long term. We need more jobs now and I’ll keep doing everything I can to bring more jobs to America and to our great state.